Advantages and Disadvantages of Antibacterial Soap

Everyone cares for their body and hygiene, as one should, especially when your exposure to bacteria is 100% and 27x7. Now, imagine taking your soap, and tiny untraceable bacteria are partying on your soap. Bacteria are both friendly and harmful, thus, giving a thought to stay clean and hygienic is everybody’s right. But how good these antibacterial soaps are? Given the fact that the market is flooded with a range of antibacterial soap for body and hygiene right now, let us find out what experts have to say about the advantages and disadvantages of antibacterial soap use.

Regular Soap VS Antibacterial Soap

Antibacterial Soap: With special emphasis on resisting bacteria and germs, antibacterial soap is designed to kill microorganisms that may or may not be harmful to you and your kids. You can spot an antibacterial soap in many different forms as a liquid hand sanitizer, liquid soap, or a bar. What makes antibacterial soap different than regular soap are the ingredients, namely Triclosan, Benzalkonium, Chloride, etc.

Regular Soap: Regular soap or non antibacterial soap is made of fats and scents to decrease water's surface tension to remove dirt and oils to keep wherever applied. Unlike the antibacterial soaps, regular soaps are non-resistant to bacteria. Even though bacteria are not eradicated, regular soaps are effective against bacteria that are collected on the skin's surface.

It’s a lot easier to find an antibacterial soap at your nearest grocery stores and pharmacy these days. Call it awareness or call it the basic instinct to lead a healthy life. Antibacterial soap, when compared to non antibacterial soap, does kill more germs and microorganisms. However, the other side of the story is also somewhat surprising because of the recent findings.

Advantages of Antibacterial Soap and Liquids

• Germ Riddance

Antibacterial soap bars have been used widely wherever there is a chance of infection or bacteria. This is why every surgeon's move is to clean hands as a port-surgical precaution. These microscopic bacteria are both grounded and airborne. In an extra-sensitive atmosphere, a patient may get affected because of the presence of any unnecessary microorganism, which may also harm the doctors and nurses.

• Family Protection against Bad Bacteria

If you have kids, antibacterial is your house's primary need. Kids are the ones who you can't watch over every time for what they are into. Also, they are not as smart as you are in the sense of keeping up with hygiene and cleanliness. The little ones are more vulnerable to be affected by germs and microorganisms. Not all the bacteria are human-friendly, antibacterial liquid or soaps are the best way to help your kids and family away from germs.

• Antibacterial Soap is a go for Home with Pets

Pets are more prone to catch the dirt and germs and to ship them back inside the house. What can you do about that? You do exactly what you think is right. A bar of antibacterial soap or shampoo sounds like an easy answer to this problem. Pets are also hosts to parasites like lice and ticks that can only be controlled by using the right pet shampoo and oil. The contents are all the same, but in a more significant proportion.

• Antibacterial Soap Ensures better Sanitization

Antibacterial liquids and bars are the most basic of amenities for everyone and is believed to be an effective solution for hygiene maintenance. The market has both herbal and non-herbal soaps with different proportions of antibacterial chemicals and agents. Liquids and solvents with Triclosan eliminate many bacteria ensuring immunity against diseases caused by bacteria and fungi.

Disadvantages of Antibacterial Soap and Liquid

• Evidence is against Antibacterial Soap

According to recent findings by the US FDA (Food and Drug Administration), antibacterial soap bars and liquids are not any different than regular soap. The United States Center for Disease Control followed further to support the evidence-based facts. As a result, the US government had banned more than 17 antibacterial elements companies put in the products due to antibacterial soap dangers posed to health.

• Overuse of Antibacterial Soaps and Liquids is Harmful

Some people develop an OCD-like syndrome where they grow habitual of washing hands over and over. Whenever they touch something, they feel an urge to wash their hands because of fear. Also, studies have found that people who overuse antibacterial soap or liquids are more susceptible to developing rashes and allergies.

• Use of Antibacterial lead to the growth of Resistant Bacteria

Excessive use of antibiotics and antimicrobial chemicals turn bacteria and germs resistant and immune. The other reason why harmful bacteria is more resistant is that the antibacterial compounds kill the good bacteria, which resultantly increases the population of germs. If this happens on a wider enough scale, that antibiotic chemical is useless against the strain of bacteria.

• Antibacterial Soap harms the Environment

As reported by Eco Watch, the residue from the antibacterial hand wash never goes down the drain for degradation. The major constituents of antimicrobial soap are Triclosan, and Triclocarbon (These elements break down to form carcinogens) are hazardous to the environment that stays in the water even after undergoing treatment. These carcinogens are transferred into the farm fields that further contaminates the land and surface water that also affect crops and farm production.